Potassium cyanide, an extremely toxic chemical, has been used in several poisoning cases, including some of the most famous suicides in history.
1. The Tylenol Murders (1982)
Location: Chicago, USA
Details: Seven people died after taking Tylenol capsules that were laced with potassium cyanide. This incident caused widespread panic and led to significant changes in packaging laws to prevent product tampering.
| Tylenol is the brand name for the drug acetaminophen—the active ingredient in Tylenol. Acetaminophen is more commonly known as paracetamol and is used for pain relief and fever reduction for mild to moderate conditions. |
2. The Jonestown Massacre (1978)
Location: Jonestown, Guyana
Details: Over 900 members of the Peoples Temple cult, led by Jim Jones, died after consuming a drink laced with potassium cyanide. Although potassium cyanide was one of the chemicals used, sodium cyanide was also involved.
3. Stefan Zweig and Lotte Altmann (1942)
Location: Petrópolis, Brazil
Details: Austrian writer Stefan Zweig and his wife Lotte Altmann committed suicide by ingesting potassium cyanide, deeply disillusioned by the state of the world during World War II.
Austrian writer Stefan Zweig and his wife. (Photo: Acervo CSZ).
In 1948, Stefan Zweig’s story “Letter from an Unknown Woman” was adapted into a film of the same name. This tear-jerking film is among the top 100 films of all time, deemed “culturally significant” by the Library of Congress, and selected for preservation at the National Film Registry of the United States. In 1968, another of his stories was adapted into the film “24 Hours in the Life of a Woman,” starring Ingrid Bergman, which also achieved considerable success. In 2014, the film “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, inspired by his writings, celebrated the “fragile glimmers of civilization that remain in a barbaric world once known as humane”, receiving high praise from film critics. The film led the BAFTA nominations with 11 nods, more than any other film, and won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy along with nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. It later won four Oscars for Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup. |
4. Slobodan Praljak (2017)
Location: The Hague, Netherlands
Details: Former Croatian general Slobodan Praljak drank potassium cyanide in the courtroom of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, immediately after his 20-year prison sentence was upheld.
5. The Death of Rasputin (1916)
Location: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Details: Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin is said to have been poisoned with cyanide-laced cakes and wine. However, the poison appeared ineffective, leading to further assassination attempts by other means.
6. Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun (1945)
Location: Berlin, Germany
Details: Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and his wife Eva Braun committed suicide in Hitler’s bunker. While Hitler used a gun, it is believed that both also bit into cyanide capsules.
Adolf Hitler and wife Eva Braun. (Photo: AP).
7. Yukio Mishima (1970)
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Details: Although better known for his ritual seppuku (stomach-cutting), Japanese writer Yukio Mishima had previously attempted suicide with potassium cyanide.
8. The Bhopal Disaster (1984)
Location: Bhopal, India
Details: Although not an intentional poisoning, the Bhopal gas disaster involved the release of methyl isocyanate gas, which has similar toxic effects to cyanide, resulting in thousands of deaths.
What is Potassium Cyanide? According to the Law Library, potassium cyanide (English: potassium cyanide) is a colorless chemical compound made up of three elements: potassium, carbon, and nitrogen. Potassium cyanide has a very similar odor to almonds and appears white like sugar; it is highly soluble in water.
Potassium cyanide is one of the most toxic substances in the world, capable of causing death at low doses (according to the cyanide disposal or reuse technology process issued with Decision No. 1971/1999/QĐ-BKHCNMT, as little as 50 mg of potassium cyanide can be fatal). |
